


Trial of Conscience

by Zikul



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Cardassia, Cardassians, Enigma - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 03:49:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16569071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zikul/pseuds/Zikul
Summary: A Cardassian woman takes the train from Torr to Coranum.





	Trial of Conscience

Hidjami clasped her fingers around the strap of her shoulder bag, as if holding onto it could somehow still her heart and carry her through the trail check. As she crossed, the laser scanner seemed to deem her acceptable, and her shoulders sunk as she let out a breath she hadn’t even been aware of holding.

It had been three days. Gloomy, cloudy days – salt in the wind, carried incredibly far over the wastelands of Cardassia – heavy days, darkened by dusty clouds and crushing thoughts. She smiled at the security guard as she passed him by, his expression etched in stone and his eyes cold, blue and distant. He very likely hadn’t even registered that she’d passed him. One in the crowd, unnoticed, light like a feather.

The public transport hadn’t arrived yet, and the valved cathedral that awaited it valved over the silver tracks like a shrine. Beautiful places for a beautiful people – Hidjami swallowed the contradictory thought as it crossed her mind, unthought and unmade. A scrawny boy passed her by, swiping the ground thoroughly with a broom, paying her only a half-frightened look as he passed, black eyes filled with hunger and submission. She carried the dress of an upper class woman, and he carried the crouched back of a working class guttersnipe, and yet in that moment, she felt like she had more in common with him than he could ever suspect.

A gust of air predicted the transport, then a hissing sound and the copper snake came dashing through the room, its green headlights flickering by in a second before slowing down, stopping, opening its scales to let people come and go. As was usual for this hour of day, more people left than entered – this was Torr, and she was headed for Coranum.

The car she entered was near-empty, housed only by an elderly couple who were watching the current trial on a padd, whispering in hushed voices about the awful crime committed. Hidjami knew what would come next – the condemnation towards the housekeeper, for poisoning her patron, robbing three children and his wife of their head of family. The admiration towards the widow for her strength in carrying on, taking her husband’s seat, stepping up to the task – why, she had even been promoted to take his position. Now she could titulate herself as teacher within her field, teaching students of every field the obligatory art of philosophy.

It was easy to get lost amongst the praise, easy to fall on ones knees and worship what one couldn’t see. Hidjami passed no judgement on the worship, but found that guilt gnawed her still. Soon, she’d reach her destination, and her feet would fill the shoes of her predecessor – never had she imagined her chest would feel so raw over what she had done.

Nadyal’s husband, she had never cared for the man. Nothing much flattering could be said about neither him – except perhaps that he had good taste in women – nor the lessons he taught. Poisoning him had been an easy choice, he was a big man. Pinning it on the housekeeper had been an afterthought. At that time, she hadn’t even considered what consequences it’d have for the woman – all she had been driven by, was self preservation. ’Getting caught gets you naught’ was a true saying, after all.

As the sky turned darker and the transport started hissing once more, the trial took its end with the judgment – a housekeeper who had done such a thing wasn’t worth much, and the Conservator didn’t manage to make much of an appeal. The elderly couple seemed as satisfied by the death sentence as any normal Cardassian would be, and Hidjami tried to smile at them as they looked up to make eye contact with her. She diverted her gaze out through the window fast, however, looking at the stars as they shone through her reflection.

If only that housekeeper had watched her mistress’ mistress a bit closer.


End file.
